All articles tagged with #maduro
Maduro and his wife were jailed in New York and face a drug-trafficking indictment. The U.S. Treasury blocked authorization for the Venezuelan government to pay Maduro's legal fees after an initial license granted by OFAC, a move their lawyer says interferes with his Sixth Amendment right to counsel and highlights ongoing tensions in U.S. policy toward Venezuela ahead of a March 17 hearing.
Maduro can’t pay for his U.S. legal defense because the Trump administration blocked Venezuela from funding his representation; Treasury’s OFAC had initially granted a license to cover defense costs on Jan. 9 but revoked it less than three hours later. Maduro’s lawyer, Barry Pollack, says he may seek court intervention to protect Maduro’s Sixth Amendment right to counsel as Maduro and his wife face narcotics and weapons charges in New York, with a March 17 hearing upcoming.
After misreading Washington’s resolve, Maduro faced a Jan. 3 U.S.-led raid in Caracas that overpowered his guards, captured him and his wife, and killed more than 100 Cubans and Venezuelans; the attack toppled his grip on power, propelled Delcy Rodríguez to interim presidency, and signaled a new, unpredictable era of gunship diplomacy in Latin America, while Maduro was later arraigned in New York on drug charges.
The Pentagon reportedly used Anthropic's Claude during the operation to capture Nicolás Maduro, prompting a reevaluation of Anthropic's Pentagon partnership amid safety concerns; Anthropic denies initiating the call. The episode highlights tensions between AI labs and the military over how such tools are used in operations, with Claude's exact role unclear and ongoing talks about loosening restrictions with other vendors.
The US military, via SOUTHCOM, says it carried out a lethal strike on a vessel suspected of drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific, killing two people. The strike is part of Operation Southern Spear and marks the second known attack this year with no US casualties reported. While the administration says the campaign aims to curb narcotics trafficking, Congress and military lawyers have raised questions about its legality, and the identities of those killed remain unclear. The broader context includes ongoing US pressure in the region and discussions surrounding Nicolás Maduro's status and charges in the Americas.
At a Senate hearing, Rubio refused to rule out future U.S. military action in Venezuela but emphasized the administration does not intend to act now, noting a self-defense option while framing oil seizures and licensing as short-term fixes. He suggested the goal is a longer-term energy strategy with U.S. firms and asserted cooperation from interim leader Delcy Rodríguez, even as Democrats question executive power and legal actions tied to Maduro’s regime.
Sen. Marco Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that cooperation with the United States aligns with Venezuela’s interests and that Maduro’s arrest was not a war, with Washington signalling it does not plan military action. The administration envisions a transition to a “friendly, stable and prosperous” Venezuela, with oil revenues overseen by the US and used for the Venezuelan people, while trying to limit Iranian and Cuban influence. Democrats pressed on transparency over oil bidding, progress in six months, and congressional oversight of future powers. A protest interruption occurred during Rubio’s opening remarks.
In a Senate Foreign Relations hearing, Rubio defended the U.S. operation to seize Maduro, pressed for cooperation from Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodríguez, and warned force could be used if necessary, while Democrats argued the mission is costly and destabilizing amid growing Chinese/Russian influence. Sen. Risch framed the action as limited and constitutional, and Sen. Shaheen criticized the administration’s broader strategy. The report also notes U.S. strikes on drug-smuggling boats, regional troop deployments, and ongoing debates over the War Powers Act and congressional authorization.
Sen. Marco Rubio testifies before Congress, warning that Venezuela's leadership could face future U.S. military action if it strays from Washington's goals, reflecting escalating U.S. pressure amid tensions following a U.S. operation against Maduro.
At a forthcoming Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will warn that the Trump administration is prepared to use force against Venezuela if its interim leadership strays from U.S. goals, stressing that there are no U.S. troops on the ground. He defends actions like Maduro’s removal and oil-tanker seizures, while pressing to open Venezuela’s energy sector to U.S. firms and to keep pressure on Caracas, even as Democrats accuse the administration of overreach. The move comes as Washington works to normalize ties, reopen the Caracas embassy, and coordinate with Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez, with Rubio set to meet opposition leader María Corina Machado during the visit.
Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s acting president, told oil workers in Puerto La Cruz that she has had enough of Washington’s orders as she works to unite a country divided by Maduro loyalists, opposition, and anti‑Maduro factions after the US captured Maduro. Washington has pressed Caracas on oil production and demanded severing ties with China, Iran, Russia and Cuba while prioritizing US oil interests; Rodríguez has sought to balance domestic loyalties with not provoking Washington, reiterating that the US does not govern Venezuela, amid oil’s central role in the economy and ongoing internal tensions.
House Republicans narrowly defeated a war powers resolution aimed at constraining President Trump's military actions in Venezuela, as lawmakers debate congressional oversight amid reports of plans to deploy U.S. forces to capture Nicolás Maduro.
Saturday Night Live’s cold open spoofed Donald Trump by claiming he received a Nobel Peace Prize, while lampooning his cabinet and the Venezuela crisis, including Maduro’s capture, Minnesota ICE raids, and a running gag about canceling the midterms, with James Austin Johnson returning as Trump and a mock cabinet meeting.
Mike Pence said Delcy Rodríguez is not the right leader for Venezuela after Maduro’s capture, urging the US to push for free and fair elections and the restoration of basic liberties, while acknowledging Trump’s support for Rodríguez but diverging on strategy.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Caracas to meet Maduro’s successor comes as Donald Trump backs interim leader Delcy Rodríguez and sidelines opposition figure María Corina Machado, who nonetheless vows to become Venezuela’s first elected female president after handing her Nobel medal to Trump. Analysts depict Machado as marginalized and the US pursuing a deal with Maduro’s allies—seeking oil access and stability—while Rodríguez maintains control and aims to improve ties with Washington.